Apparatus for recovering drill pipe



IINVENTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet l NORMAN 0. BECKER FLOYD w. BECKER N. D.BECKER ETAL APPARATUS FOR RECOVEPING DRILL PIPE July 4, 1967 OriginalFiled June 19, 1961 FIG.

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APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING DRILL PIPE Original Filed June 19, 1961 V 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 37 NORMAND. BECKER FLOYD w. BECKER ogen UnitedStates Patent 3,329,401 APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING DRILL PIPE NormanDonald Becker and Floyd Walter Becker, Calgary, Alberta, Canada,assignors to Becker Drilling (Alberta) Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada, acompany of Alberta Original application June 19, 1961, Ser. No. 118,191,now Patent No. 3,280,925, dated Oct. 25, 1966. Divided and thisapplication July 29, 1966, Ser. No. 568,929

3 Claims. (Cl. 254-29) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A casing pullermounted on a pivoting frame in a vehicle, arranged to lower aslide-guided rigid apertured platform base of the puller to the groundwhen the frame is swung upright to register the aperture about thecasing, the base supporting spaced upright hydraulic cylinders whosepiston rods carry a depending apertured cradle that may be rested on thebase to engage slips inserted in its aperture with the casing.

When slips are also provided in the platform aperture to preventdropping of the casing, the latter may be rapidly pulled up when thepiston rods are reciprocated, elevating the casing at each upstroke.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 118,191, filedJune 19, 1961, for an invention in Method and Apparatus for ImpactDrilling of overburden, now Patent No. 3,280,925.

The present invention relates to transportable earth boring apparatus,and specifically to lifting apparatus for withdrawing drill pipe from aborehole. The invention is particularly useful for providing a means forraising drill pipe which remains constantly in operative readinessduring the impact drilling operation, requiring only the insertion ofsuitable grab means to engage the pipe, but which is entirely clear ofthe pipe and working zone during the drive operation. Moreover theraising means lends itself ideally to support by the same derrick ascarries the impact engine so as to provide an integral andself-contained system.

In our parent application, U.S. Ser. No. 118,191 there is described andclaimed an apparatus for impact driving of a tubular hollow drill pipecarrying an annular toothed bit so as to cause the bit and drill pipe topenetrate overburden. In that method, a novel combination of steadyaxial loading of the bit and intermittent transfer of impact energy tothe bit makes possible the penetration of ground in which conventionalmethods prove costly or incapable of making a straight borehole, such asriver bed gravels, shales, and glacial tillmaterials which may generallybe grouped under the heading overburden.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of associatedmeans for applying upward, lifting force on the pipe and which iscapable of exerting the relatively enormous starting pulls required tomove the pipe along the closely fitting borehole made by impactdrilling. The starting pull is particularly greater in that method ofdrilling whereby the contents of the borehole have been retained Withinthe pipe for removal therewith.

According to the invention there is provided a transportable liftingdevice having a base adapted to be set on the ground surface about theborehole opening, the base supporting a pair of laterally spaced erecthydraulic cylinders whereof their piston rods extend upward and carry ontheir upper ends short beams which in turn carry depending linksstraddling the cylinder, the lower ends of the links being connected tothe ends of a transverse horizontal cradle closely overlying the baseand having an aperture adapted to fit around the drill pipe so that grab3,329,401 Patented July 4, 1967 means insertable into the aperture cangrip the pipe and raise it whenever the pistons are jointly actuated toelevate the cradle.

The invention may be the better understood from a reading of thefollowing specification in combination with the accompanying figures ofthe drawing, wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of a drilling apparatus carrying thelifting device of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the lifting device, looking downward from asectioning plane indicated by line 33 in FIGURE 2; and,

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation detail view in partial section taken on avertical plane designated by line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing, a transportable earth boring apparatus as morefully described in our application Ser. No. 118,191 and as shown byFIGURES l and 2 herein, comprises an erectible derrick frame 10pivotably supported as by brackets 11 from a horizontally extendingvehicle frame 12, to rotate about a transverse horizontal axis inbearing pins 13. The derrick frame is arranged to be erected and loweredby linear motor means 14, such as a hydraulic or pneumatic piston andcylinder supplied by fluid under pressure through suitable controlvalves and lines (not shown). One end of a piston rod .15 is securedrotatably on bracket 16 fixed to the derrick, turning about pivot pin 17in the bracket, while the cylinder has its lower end supported rotatablyin the vehicle frame '1 as by pivot pin 18. In the erected position, aprolongation 19 of the rear part of the vehicle frame 12 serves as astop to limit backward swing of the upper part of the derrick frame. Thederrick is braced in erected position by strut 20 secured rotatably atits upper end in derrick bracket 21 on pivot pin 22, and is heldadjacent its lower end in slotted lug 23 of vehicle bracket 24, the lugbeing interposed between stop nuts 25 spaced adjustably along the strut.

A percussion motor 26 which may be a diesel pile hammer of known type issupported by a vertically adjustable carrying structure 27 in the upperpart of the derrick frame 10, and is formed with a downwardly facingstriking part 28 adapted to deliver blows against an anvil cap 29carried removably upon the upper end of drill pipe 30. Suitable meansare provided for elevating and lowering the hammer so that the fullweight thereof 2 may be rested on the end of hollow tubular drill pipe30,

or so that the hammer may raised entirely clear of the pipe as when alength is to be added or removed. The same means also serve to lift orlower the raising apparatus, as will appear from the further descriptionhereinafter.

While the manner of impact drilling as described in the aforesaid parentapplication Ser. No. 118,191 need not be described here in full detail,it will be helpful to understand that subjecting the drill pipe 30 tosteady impressed axial loading and to impact energy delivered byrepeated downward blows on the anvil cap causes the annular bit 31 topenetrate the overburden or other ground, by effecting lateral and axialdisplacement of solid obstacles encountered, and by fragmenting thesame, so that the bit may progress downward. In this manner asubstantial part of the volume of earth materials occupying the eventualborehole 32 is deflected, and part is received within the bit aperture33. In the preferred method as described in our parent application,means are provided for pneumatically or hydraulically clearing thefragments entering the bit aperture and elevating them continuouslyunder the lifting force of a fluid stream issuing from the bit andflowing up the central conduit 34, whence they issue by way of exhaustduct 35 above the surface from a side of the anvil cap 29. In analternative method, the fragments are forced upward solely by theintermittent downward passage of the bit and drill pipe, no fluid beingsupplied by conduit 60, so that these fragments occupy the volume of theconduit 34 and are removed with the drill pipe when it is withdrawn.

When the drill pipe requires to be removed from the borehole, the hammermeans and the anvil are raised well clear of the upper end of the drillpipe 30; the distance should be not less than the length of a section ofthe drill pipe. When a considerable length of drill string is in theground it has been found that a large starting pull is required, whichmay be in excess of 30 tons. Consequently robust equipment ofconsiderable power is required, particularly when it is recognized thatthe rate of withdrawal should be comparable to or faster than the rateof descent; in certain soil materials such as fine gravels thepenetration rate may be very rapid.

An apparatus for guiding and grabbing the drill string comprises a baseplatform 36 in the form of a rectangular rigid plate member, disposed inthe horizontal plane to be supported upon the ground surface and havinga circular aperture 37 registered coaxially with the pipe 30 and freelypassing the drill pipe therethrough. The platform supports a pair ofupright hydraulic motors 38, 39 spaced on opposite sides of theaperture, of the pistonand-cylinder type whereof their driven elements,specifically their piston rods 40, 41 are driven vertically with respectto the platform. Fixed upon the upper ends of the piston rods arelongitudinal horizontal beams 42 43, from the ends of which depend pairsof tension strap members 44 of such length that in the fully retractedposition of the pistons, the lower ends of the tension members reachalmost to the platform surface. A cradle structure generally designated45 is carried by the lower ends of strap members 44, includingtransverse beams 46 and a strong horizontal'plate 47 supported upon andextending across beams 46.

The assembly comprising the base platform 36 and the cylinders 38, 39 issupported from the derrick by braces 48 fixed on the upper cylinderends, the braces including sleeve parts 49 and being slidably receivedon upright guides 50 fixed on and spaced to the rearward side from thederrick. When the derrick is lowered to the horizontal position, theentire raising apparatus is lifted by the braces 48 and is carried abovethe rearward frame parts 12. Plate 47 is apertured at 51, the apertureregistering in vertical spaced coaxial relation with aperture 37, andsupporting a thrust block 52 which is coaxially apertured by bore 53.The latter aperture is of conic form, and enlarges upwardly. Its minordiameter end is slightly larger than the outside diameter of the drillpipe 30, so that a set of wedges or slips 54 may be placed around thepipe and within the block. The slips may be any convenient number, forexample three, and have milled and hardened inner gripping faces 55 ofcylindric form and conic outer faces 56 complementary to the form ofbore 53.

As the piston rods 40 and 41 are caused to be raised jointly, as by theapplication of fluid under pressure through suitable conduits andcontrol valves (not shown) to motors 38 and 39, the cradle 45 with plate47 and thrust block 52 is raised, causing the wedges or slips 54 toclamp the pipe 30, and to grip it tightly as lifting force is applied.When the upward limit of motion of the rods 40, 41 has been reached, themotors are then operated to drive their piston rods down, therebylowering the cradle structure 45 and thrust block 52. The wedges 0rslips disengage and slide down about the pipe which remains standing inthe borehole in its raised position in most instances, depending on theextent of earth friction. In the event that such frictional holding isinsuflicient to keep the drill pipe steady, resort may be had to the useof conventional drill pipe clamps to prevent lowering, such devices (notshown) being suitably locatable removably at the platform aperture 37.

The raising and lowering operations on the cradle structure are repeatedas quickly as desired, the hydraulic fluid pumps being chosen preferablyof such capacity that the withdrawal of a drill string requires afraction of the time taken to drive it into the ground. The up-anddownreciprocation of the cradle structure 45- therefore causes the drillpipe 30 to be pulled out of the hole by increments, until a length isclear. The free length is then unscrewed and lifted and swung away byconventional crane means or the like, and succeeding lengths aresimilarly brought up and removed. When the last length which carries thebit 31 is brought up a catcher or stop (not shown) may be employed tocover the hole opening 57.

To dismantle the apparatus for transport, the frame 27 is suitablyconnected, as by chain and hook means, with the platform 36, and thehammer and the lifting apparatus are raised together to bring the centerof gravity into suitable relation to the axis in pivot pins 13 whenlowered to the horizontal. To lower the derrick, strut 21 is released,and rod 15 of the erection motor 14 is retracted.

We claim:

1. Means for recovering a string of drill pipe extended above groundfrom a borehole comprising, an erectible derrick frame, a transportvehicle having pivot means supporting said derrick frame for rotationabout a transverse horizontal axis, motive power means arranged forcontrollably erecting and lowering said derrick frame about said axis, aplatform braced to said frame and guidedly movable therealong adapted tobe supported on the ground when said frame is erected, said platformhaving an aperture for freely receiving said drill pipe therethrough, apair of lifting jacks spaced on either side of said aperture and havingdriven elements movable vertically, a lifting cardle supported from saiddriven elements and having a transverse member parallel with saidplatform and movable between a lowered position adjacent the uppersurface of said platform and a raised position spaced above saidplatform in accordance with the upper limit of the driven member motion,aperture means in said cradle vertically registered coaxially on saidplatform aperture adapted to receive said drill pipe, and havingupwardly opening conic form adapted to removably receive slip means forgripping said drill pipe when said cradle is raised to pull said pipeupward on upward motion of said driven elements, and operable to releasesaid drill pipe from said cradle when said driven elements are lowered.

2. Means for recovering a drill pipe as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidcradle is supported on said driven members by pairs of straps havingtheir lower ends fixed on the ends of said transverse member and havingtheir upper ends fixed on longitudinal beams respectively carried by thedriven members, said beams being parallel and extending at right anglesto a line joining said lifting jacks, whereby said cardle providesunobstructed access to the drill pipe between said jacks.

3. A vehicle-supported transportable apparatus for raising a string oftubular drill pipe in a borehole, said vehicle having a frame rotatableon pivot means in said vehicle about a transverse horizontal axis andhaving means for turning said frame between a horizontal transportposition and a vertical operative position, slide means carried by saidframe, means guidedly supporting said apparatus on said slide means forreciprocal motion between a retracted position in said frame when saidframe is horizontal and an extended operative groundengaging positionwhen said frame is erect, said apparatus comprising a rigid platformadapted to be set on the ground in load-bearing relation about saidborehole to overlie said borehole, a pair of laterally spaced hydraulicpiston-and-cylinder motor means supported on said plat: form on oppositesides of said borehole, and having vertically driven members selectivelyactuatable for raising and lowering movements, a depending cradlestructure supported from said driven members, said structure comprisinga transverse member disposed horizontally above said platform betweensaid motor means and pairs of upright links connecting ends of saidtransverse member with respective ones of said pair of driven members,said platform and said transverse member each having a circular apertureformed therein, said apertures being in vertical alignment and adaptedto receive a drill pipe extended above said borehole through saidapertures, said aperture in said transverse member being adapted tosupport slip means removably insertable around said pipe, whereby saidslip means efieet lifting of said drill pipe on raising movement of saidcradle structure and release said drill pipe on lowering movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,435,486 11/1922 Leon et al25430 1,929,055 10/1933 Carr 2S430 3,059,905 10/1962 Tompkins 25430FOREIGN PATENTS 1,069,224 2/ 1954 France.

146,561 7/1954 Sweden.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner.

1. MEANS FOR RECOVERING A STRING OF DRILL PIPE EXTENDED ABOVE GROUNDFROM A BOREHOLE COMPRISING, AN ERECTIBLE DERRICK FRAME, A TRANSPORTVEHICLE HAVING PIVOT MEANS SUPPORTING SAID DERRICK FRAME FOR ROTATIONABOUT A TRANSVERSE HORIZONTAL AXIS, MOTIVE POWER MEANS ARRANGED FORCONTROLLABLY ERECTING AND LOWERING SAID DERRICK FRAME ABOUT SAID AXIS, APLATFORM BRACED TO SAID FRAME AND GUIDEDLY MOVABLE THEREALONG ADAPTED TOBE SUPPORTED ON THE GROUND WHEN SAID FRAME IS ERECTED, SAID PLATFORMHAVING AN APERTURE FOR FREELY RECEIVING SAID DRILL PIPE THERETHROUGH, APAIR OF LIFTING JACKS SPACED ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID APERTURE AND HAVINGDRIVEN ELEMENTS MOVABLE VERTICALLY, A LIFTING CARDLE SUPPORTED FROM SAIDDRIVEN ELEMENTS AND HAVING A TRANSVERSE MEMBER PARALLEL WITH SAIDPLATFORM AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A LOWERED POSITION ADJACENT THE UPPERSURFACE OF SAID PLATFORM AND A RAISED POSITION SPACED ABOVE SAIDPLATFORM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UPPER LIMIT OF THE DRIVEN MEMBER MOTION,APERTURE MEANS IN SAID CRADLE VERTICALLY REGISTERED COAXIALLY ON SAIDPLATFORM APERTURE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID DRILL PIPE, AND HAVINGUPWARDLY OPENING CONIC FORM ADAPTED TO REMOVABLY RECEIVE SLIP MEANS FORGRIPPING SAID DRILL PIPE WHEN SAID CRADLE IS RAISED TO PULL SAID PIPEUPWARD ON UPWARD MOTION OF SAID DRIVEN ELEMENTS, AND OPERABLE TO RELEASESAID DRILL PIPE FROM SAID CRADLE WHEN SAID DRIVEN ELEMENTS ARE LOWERED.